1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to fiber optic cables, and in particular relates to a fiber optic jumper cable having a bend-resistant multimode optical fiber.
2. Technical Background
Conventional fiber optic cables include optical fibers that conduct light for transmitting voice, video and/or data. The construction of fiber optic cables should preserve optical performance when deployed in the intended environment while also meeting the other additional requirements for the environment. Mechanical requirements or characteristics, such as crush performance, permissible bend radii, temperature performance, and the like, are preferred to inhibit undesirable optical attenuation or impaired performance during installation and/or operation within the space in which the fiber optic cable is deployed.
Fiber optic cables that connect optical devices over relatively short distances (e.g., up to a few meters) are referred to in the art as “patch cords” or “jumper cables,” or just “jumpers” for short. Jumpers are often used to form cross-connections between terminated optical fibers. For example, jumpers are used to connects ports within a fiber distribution frame (FDF), which is a telecommunications device in the form of a large panel having interconnected fiber terminations at corresponding ports.
Because jumpers are relatively short, they typically employ multimode optical fibers. Certain types of jumpers are intended for outdoor use, such as in network access points (NAPs) and network interface units (NIUs). Because space is limited in FDFs, NAPs, NIUs and like telecommunication devices, it is preferred that the jumpers not only be flexible, but have the ability to be sharply bent so that the amount of space they occupy is as small as possible. Unfortunately, most jumpers cannot tolerate significant bending because the light traveling therein will be attenuated beyond allowable limits. In fact, many types of jumpers have strength elements embedded therein to prevent the jumper from bending beyond a select bending radius. This reduces the ability of the jumper to fit within a tight space, thereby requiring the telecommunication device in which the jumper is used to be sized to accommodate the relatively bend-sensitive jumper.